Emergency vehicle warning device and system

• US 9,254,781 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2010
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Craig David Applebaum
• Original Assignee: Craig David Applebaum
• Inventors: Applebaum, Craig David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): DARAMOLA, ISRAEL O
• Application Number:
  US12/880,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,976 Days
• Field of Search: 340/906, 340/907, 340/901, 340/902, 340/331, 340/917, 340/903, 244/158.4, 246/125
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/00 Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

An emergency vehicle warning device and a vehicle warning system method for notifying a person (and plural) in a moving vehicle (and plural), an approaching emergency vehicle (and plural), including a transmitter for transmitting an emergency signal from an emergency vehicle and a receiver embedded in a siren and light vehicle warning device located near or attached to a traffic signal, and the receiving vehicle warning devise emits lights and loud siren sounds, which alert driver(s) of moving vehicle(s) and pedestrian(s), that the emergency vehicle(s) are approaching a nearby intersection; and the Emergency vehicle warning system comprising a transmitting means located in an emergency vehicle for transmitting an emergency signal indicating that the emergency vehicle(s) are approaching the intersection that is activated or starts and continues signaling when emergency vehicle(s) are on the move nearby in emergency conditions, a receiving means located in a siren and light vehicle warning device, such device located near or attached to a traffic signaling device or light, such receiving means for receiving the emergency signal from the transmitting means, and an alert means triggered by the receiving means to alert the driver of the moving vehicle(s) that the emergency vehicle(s) are approaching.

Claims

1. An emergency vehicle warning device comprising:

a transmitter in an emergency vehicle comprising a GPS navigation unit to manage and track warning units along a route of the emergency vehicle and to transmit warning signals by means of low Earth orbiting satellites to specific warning units at specific intersections along the route;

a receiver at each of the warning units electrically connected to an antenna, the receiver being electrically connected to a control circuitry to receive warning signals, which are transmitted by the emergency vehicle using low Earth orbit satellites, and decode and process received signals; and

a warning element affixed to the exterior of a water-proof housing of each warning unit and electrically connected to an output of the control circuitry;

wherein the warning element of each warning unit, when receiving the transmitted warning signals specified by the emergency vehicle, activate differing light colors or sound frequencies or both, to indicate to approaching vehicle drives the distance categories of the approaching emergency vehicle.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is internal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is external.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is actually connected directly to a transmission wire.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the warning device additionally comprises a control unit to remotely activate the warning unit.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the control unit automatically activates the warning device.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the warning device is connected to an internal or an external GPS device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the GPS device is used to locate and activate the warning device.

9. A method for notifying drivers of moving vehicles or pedestrians of an emergency vehicle approaching a nearby traffic intersection comprising:

transmitting an emergency signal using low Earth orbit satellites [using a transmitter in the emergency vehicle comprising a GPS navigation unit to manage and track warning units along a route of the emergency vehicle, to specific warning units at specific intersections along the route];

receiving the emergency signal in a receiver unit [of each of the warning units specified by the emergency vehicle]using low Earth orbit satellites;

each receiver unit of the warning unit specified by the emergency vehicle activates a dedicated warning element which alerts the drivers or the pedestrians at the nearby traffic intersection of each specified warning unit that the emergency vehicle is approaching;

wherein the warning element of each warning unit, when receiving the transmitted warning signals specified by the emergency vehicle, activate differing light colors or sound frequencies or both, to indicate to approaching vehicle drives the distance categories of the approaching emergency vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the emergency signal is routed through a relay station before reaching the receiver.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the alert is a siren or a lighting system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the emergency signal originates from an emergency vehicle or a central command location.